Time's Up!

The ACT is taken by millions of students each year. They study, they take the test, they get their results...but what really happens? After years of experiencing the ACT firsthand, Method Test Prep's Vice President, Evan Wessler, shares his reflections of the experience and discusses the speed and strategy necessary for excelling on the ACT.

What happens as the time speeds by, will you be able to finish every question?

Each time, it goes something like this. I read a question and immediately start thinking about technique. Where have I seen this before? Which strategy is most effective for solving a problem like this? Are there hints in the answer choices that reveal further insights into the question? Am I reading carefully? Did I miss something? Am I solving for the correct variable, or properly interpreting the meaning of a word?

There, I've got the answer. Am I 100% confident? Maybe 99%.I might have made a mistake. Maybe, but is that likely? Who knows? Never mind: bubble and get going, because all the while, the second hand on my watch has covered three-quarters of the clock face, and it's time to move.

Doing well on the ACT demands that you hit the ground running immediately when you finish reading a question, and that you are confident enough in your approach that when you arrive at an answer, you can mark it and forget about it.

The time you waste actually thinking about what to do is time that slips away incredibly easily, and time you're not likely to make up. Fortunately, I'm good at this sort of thing. I'm familiar enough with the test structure, content, and style of questions to know what I need to do almost instantly. But this isn't about me; its about student, and how I can get their abilities in line with what's necessary to succeed on the test.

So what are those requisite skills students need to defeat the ACT?